MyVU Latest Headlines

Vanderbilt University served as the convening host for a major World Economic Forum gathering on Monday, Nov. 10, bringing leaders from government, industry, academia and civil society to Nashville for a full day of discussion on how states and regions can navigate a rapidly changing national and global environment. The program, “Regional Leadership in a New Global Context,” explored emerging trends shaping the future of workforce development, energy, health care, technology and national security.   Read More

As conversations about the value and nature of higher education continue at colleges and universities nationwide, a new national Vanderbilt Unity Poll finds that Americans are largely united on the fundamental value of higher education—and in their distaste for the influence of politics and the cost of college degrees.  Read More

Vanderbilt Crowdfunding, an initiative in its inaugural year, offers a new level of possibility through student-led philanthropy. Supported by university resources provided by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, the forward-looking approach to engagement and philanthropy reframes fundraising from a formal transaction to a shared investment in future leaders—to a community coming together for support. Read More

Vanderbilt University has received a catalytic $30 million gift from John Addison, BE’01, and Shannon Addison, BS’02, to ignite a bold new era of innovation at the School of Engineering. Their visionary contribution serves as the lead commitment for Power the Impossible, a new $300 million fundraising campaign in support of the School of Engineering. Building on the remarkable momentum of the university’s record-breaking Dare to Grow campaign, Power the Impossible will position Vanderbilt Engineering among the world’s most influential, impactful and recognized engineering institutions of this century. Read More

Vanderbilt University hosted more than 5,700 alumni and guests on campus Nov. 6–9 for Reunion and Homecoming 2025. This year’s attendance was the largest in university history—even surpassing 2022’s Triple Reunion. The weekend schedule featured more than 85 events showcasing the university’s latest programs and initiatives, deepening connections among alumni celebrating milestone class years, and welcoming back all alumni for Homecoming.   Read More

Five exceptional Vanderbilt faculty members have been named 2025 Master Innovators for their extraordinary contributions to translating research into commercial applications that have significant societal impact. The 2025 honorees represent diverse fields from infectious disease therapeutics to neuroscience drug discovery and biomedical engineering.  Read More

Vanderbilt University marked a defining moment in its 150-year history with the official establishment of its first campus outside of Nashville: Vanderbilt University–New York City. Located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, the campus will welcome an inaugural cohort of students for an Undergraduate Semester Program and a Master of Science in Business and Technology program in fall 2026. Read More

The Heard Libraries are broadening the slate of creative and instructional technology resources available to students, faculty and staff. This includes hiring Vanderbilt’s first-ever librarian for this area, expanding the Gear2Go technology lending program, and bringing the state-of-the-art Studio 608 fully within the purview of the libraries’ Teaching and Learning team. Read More

What connects Vanderbilt with the city it calls home? For students, faculty, staff and neighbors alike, it begins with working together toward a shared purpose and developing community partnerships. Vanderbilt has launched Vanderbilt in the Nashville Community, a new webpage highlighting the university’s collaborations and offering a starting point for engagement. The page offers resources, stories and tools that make Vanderbilt’s community work visible and accessible to all. Read More

More than 1,600 first-year students were asked to interview someone in their community who could deepen, broaden or shift their understanding of the world—and to document the experience through a written story or reflection. This exercise, the first of its kind at Vanderbilt, drew a response that was nothing short of extraordinary.   Read More

Vanderbilt student Tyler Hwang, a sophomore double majoring in chemical engineering and economics, nailed a 33-yard field goal to win Pat McAfee’s weekly kicking contest on ESPN’s College Gameday, which Vanderbilt hosted on campus October 25. In addition to winning the $500,000 award, Hwang also receives $250,000 for the charity of his choice. Read More

Collaboration, community and love for the written word were celebrated at the 2025 Southern Festival of Books, presented by Vanderbilt University in partnership with Humanities Tennessee Oct. 18–19 in downtown Nashville. The free event, the 37th in festival history, brought hundreds of prominent national authors together in dialogue with fellow writers, readers and thousands of Middle Tennesseans. It also marked the first year of an expanded partnership between the festival and Vanderbilt, evidence of the university’s deepening investment in the cultural fabric of the region. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier was inducted into the White Rose Society on Sunday, October 12, by alumni and Vanderbilt parents Justin and Mara Berman in the Zeppos Great Room. The society recognizes non-Jewish individuals who exemplify moral courage and a steadfast commitment to justice. The chancellor was also recognized by The Rohr Chabad House and Lubeck Center for Jewish Life at Vanderbilt University during its Lamplighter Award Ceremony and Shabbat Dinner on Sept. 19. Read More

Political propaganda and artificial intelligence–driven misinformation are infiltrating social media accounts, and Americans need to do something about it. That’s the warning revealed in research from two Vanderbilt professors and discussed on this special episode of the Quantum Potential podcast. Read More

Jennifer and Marc Lipschultz have committed a landmark collection of nearly 5,000 photographs, featuring work from hundreds of photographers including Bill Owens, Danny Lyon, Berenice Abbott, Lalla Essaydi and Dorothy Norman, to the Vanderbilt University Museum of Art. In addition to its unique emphasis on photojournalism—including iconic wire press photos from WWII, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement and beyond—the collection also spans urban street photography, portraits and other themes that are ideal for inspiring student immersion and a range of programming. Read More

Starting in October 2025, the Center for Global Democracy, with support from the Kellogg Institute, will conduct the 2025/26 round of the AmericasBarometer, which tracks public opinion on democracy in 20 countries across the Americas. The initiative builds on the Center for Global Democracy’s expertise in survey research while drawing on the Kellogg Institute’s long-standing strength in the study of democracy in Latin America. Read More

Vanderbilt University has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance, aiming to address middle Tennessee’s growing technology talent demand, with particular emphasis on artificial intelligence and cloud computing skills. The program offers faculty from area universities access to content for their courses related to AI, cloud development and cybersecurity as well as access to experiential learning opportunities for their students. Read More

Vanderbilt University announced nine recipients of the Innovation Catalyst Fund awards for the June 2025 cycle, continuing its mission of accelerating translational research and driving innovative solutions to real-world challenges by providing faculty with crucial pre-seed funding across diverse disciplines.  The newly selected projects span cutting-edge work in health care, engineering and technology solutions. Read More

The 2025 Southern Festival of Books, presented by Vanderbilt University in partnership with Humanities Tennessee, will connect faculty, students, alumni and others with university ties to a vast community that shares their love for creative expression. The festival, now in its 37th year, will be at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee State Library and Archives Oct. 18–19. Admission is free. Read More

A national search is underway for Vanderbilt’s next vice provost for research and innovation. Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver has appointed a committee to identify candidates for the university’s new chief research officer, who will begin their appointment early in 2026. Read More